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The agnif yingglass

By LESLIE MORRIS. ome

The theatre is not a mirror, the theatre is a magnifying glass

There are times when a writer of genius casts such a glaring light on a problem that it is illuminated for all time. So the Russian poet, Vladimir Mayakov- sky, has done for us in the lines quoted above. In 12 words he isolated a truth, and we are the richer for it.

For it is a truth that men seek in the theatre (including the cinema and in novels and poetry) not simply a humdrum reflec- tion of their lives, but focus, magnifica-

i tion, high-lighting. And they do this today, when al Aru | 'Sis the tawdry rubbish of “art by the square yard”.

How explain the rise in the past dozen years of the small

¥ “dependent ‘theatres, the coffee houses, the popularity of 7 Movies that come close to the truth, if not that people gag at

Ne ersatz “culture” manufactured by the ton by producers

With a dollar for a conscience and a balance sheet for a soul?

Just as the purity of a child enables it to see through an. ‘dult’s hypocrisy, so the instinct of the people is not foiled by “artistic”? snobbery and obsession with the second-rate. True,

€ advantages lie with the owners of theatres, radio and flevision stations, publishing houses and advertising agen- “ies. The god of art seems to be on the side of the heavy battalions.

But only seems to. be. Throughout the western world "OW there is a revolt against it all. In Britain the “angry

* fine men” led the post-war battle to revive the realism of “ad writers who, following their passing, were honored by

*ople who seemingly rarely if ever read their works. Italian,

a ‘Tench, British and Russian movie directors made films which 4 {uly challenged Hollywood’s monopoly.

‘re such powerful “magnifying glasses” that they success-

This is the revolt of truth against the official lies about

4 is the révolt of realism against falsehood. It is a part of

© social revolution against a morally corrupt class society Ith is sweeping away the old decadent world.

The beginnings of this revolt are to be seen in Canada, Particularly in French Canada, which is a more homo- Sus nation than English-speaking Canada and whose

n . | Sonal culture is more strongly developed. But, only the

§Mnings. Our theatres still for the most part perform plays Other than Canadian writers or, to put it differently, the ‘mber of Canadian playwrights who are performed is too a Canadian cinema is in its swaddling clothes. Canadian “3 have not yet reached the level of social realism won Australian writers. Television and radio are the weakest sectors: they are t W the stamping ground of the “official” art of embracing backsides of the “official” government line. CBC TV’s

r . F, cent travesty on Tim Buck’s life, given to Close-Up viewers

a ~ mp)

Tank Willis’ cowardly commentary, and venomously con- €d in the editorial cutting room, is the most recent ex- Ble of this “official art”. * * * ? As Mayakovsky knew, as Frederick Phillip Grove knew, Orky and Sean O’Casey and Dreiser knew; and as our Canadian writers Gabrielle Roy and Selwyn Dewdney «°W if they would but tell us, a writer must fight for his Wh enitving glass” and for the novelist, poet and playwright »,- 18 not mentally sold to the Establishment the time comes, Stays, when he says: “‘Here I stand, and fight.” ust as Canadians are producing and will more and more the Uce, their own working-class fighters against the rule of Ollar in the factory and on the Unemployment Insurance mmission breadlines, so they will produce their fighters the pen, who will be read and heard by millions.

ow,

0

Of We need their ‘magnifying glasses” to show us the sores D Class society as well as that quiet heroism of the working

ail, ©, Which is so natural and unconscious a part of their of “4 life that it would likely bring jeers (but also a measure 8Teement) if it were ever mentioned to them. But how well they would respond to the writer who

a : : , Peg in words their innermost feelings.

: The field is open.

: e i tated

pent « pines re- A second resolution ae

Co es “i : a sewel= “ds its conviction that the ed that the Syno

e

Scrap H-Bombs’- Anglicans tinually as a matter of ut- most urgency for the aboli-’ tion by international agree- ment of nuclead bombs and of other weapons of similar destructive power, the use of which is repug- nant to the Christian con-

is resolution adopted at

21st General Synod of

Anglican Church of

on has called for ab-

°n of all weapons of 88s destruction.

i he Synod met recently

| ,“ngston, Ontario. : es science.

KU KLUX KLAN BURN CROSSES

AGAIN. Last

week Ku Klux Klanmen organized cross - burning demonstrations throughout the Southern USA against racial

integration. Embolded by the rise of the

Ultra Right and failure of the Kennedy administration to ensure the constitutional tights of Negroes, the Klan demonstrations were the largest in 30 years.

CHILDREN SLEEP IN CAR

‘Homes to Rent’ not for Natives

PRINCE RUPERT — Depart-

ment of Social Welfare in this northern B.C. city has a pro- blem. It seeks a home for Harry Innes, his wife and four small children, who got a curt notice from the land- lord to ‘‘move out’. No rea- sons were given. The rent had been paid promptly, the house kept spotlessly clean, and Mr. Innes’ “stability and trustworthiness” well estab- lished by the DSW.

All this DSW official Mr. R. T. Ferris fully verified in

‘his routine report.

But the “reasons” were

EXCLUSIVE!

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in the September Issue of

WORLD MARXIST REVIEW

The socialist economic, challenge on a world scale has called forth panic efforts to “integrate”? and counter the irresistible march of socialism. N. S. ‘| Khrushchev has written a penetrating and authorita- tive article on today’s his- toric contest between socialism and capitalism.

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h Y sane course open to comes the new emphasis ioe nau

“Umanity is never to.use upon scientific researcn eee . L ue €ar weapons and urges into the causes of peace. ae Bee a c “—Shembers to press con- and war.”

soon obvious when Mr. Innes’ began _ househunting with apartment and_ individual dwelling landlords. “Sorry, we don’t rent to Natives.” Homes for rent are available in Rupert, many of them at rentals far beyond _ their worth, but as Mr. Innes has painfully found out, and now corroborated by DSW Mr. Ferris, ‘‘not available to Na- tives.”

The Rupert Daily News re- ports “the Innes_ children sleeping in the family car and unable to attend until they are settled’’, while Social Wel- fare officers are still scouting

War drive

Continued from page 1

NEED PEACE ACTION

The appearance of a U-2 spy plane over Soviet territory is not being treated as an iso- lated incident by the Soviet press, which report that a new U-2 apparatus is being established by the U.S. mili- tary.

Commenting on the dan- gerous situation, “Krasnaya Zvesda”’ (Red Star), the army Newspaper, warned against the danger of a “sudden at- tack” from the West. The

-paper pointed to the concen-

tration of power in bases of Western Europe and the Far East and says:

“The U.S. is. striving to bring its armed forces as close as possible to the bor- ders of the Soviet Union and other socialist countries. In their opinion this will ensure definie strategic advantage for a sudden attack on the socialist states.”

The events of the last few days points to the need for stepped up activity by all- peace-loving people to halt the cold war and bring about early action to ease interna- tional tensions. ;

for a home for what they des- cribe as ‘“‘a victim of discrimi- nation’’.

Obituary

TED KANGRGA

For many years a victim of the dread disease of silicosis, Ted Kangrga of Vancouver, passed away this week in his 76th year.

Born in Yugoslavia, Ted Kangrga emigrated to Canada at the turn of the century and spent most of his working years in the hard-rock mines of British Columbia Active in labor circles, in the cul-

tural and fraternal activities.

of the Canadian Association of South Slavs, Ted was also a long-time member of the Communist Party which he joined in the early 30’s, and remained a tireless and de- voted worker until illness halted his efforts.

In the passing of Ted Kan- grga the progressive language and Communist press has also lost a devoted supporter. Fun- eral services were held at the Bell Funeral Home on Thurs- day, September 13 at 11 a.m.

ALMA CLAIRE MERRIL

Following a long

Mission City passed away on September 2 in the Mission Memorial Hospital in hre 87th year. :

A former school teacher, Mrs. Merril and her husband Harry Merill, were active in the early Socialist and pro- pressive movements, and staunch supporters of the pro- gressive labor press.

Alma Merril is survived by her busband Harry, one son, two daughters and a number of grandchildren. Funeral services were conducted by W. Hartley, a close friend of the family. Deepest sym- pathies to Harry Merril and family were extended by Mis- sion members of the Com- munist Party.

Sept. 14, 1962—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 11

illness © Mrs. Alma Claire Merril of.